The Story of Ginny Weasley
by Neona4
Summary: This is the story of Ginny Weasley told from the time of her first encounter with Harry Potter.
1. Platform 9 34

**The story of Ginny Weasley since her first encounter with Harry Potter, the guy she has obsessed about since she first heard his name, the guy she dreams about every night, the guy she wishes would declare his undying love for her. **

Chapter 1 - Platform 9 ¾

"Mum come on! We're going to miss the train!" I moaned for about the thousandth time that day. I new that I was driving my mum, Percy, Fred, George and Ron crazy but I didn't care, I was too excited. Yeah, sure, I wasn't the one going to Hogwarts but I couldn't help being so excited,

"We're not going to be late, not if you all get a move on. It's like this every year, packed with Muggles, of course-" Mum was going on "now, what's the platform number?".

" Nine and three quarters!" I told her, She hustled us all around the barrier onto platform 9 ¾ "mum, can't I go…"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet" Mum turned to Percy "all right, Percy, you go first." Percy went through the barrier onto the platform.

"Fred, you next," Mum motioned for Fred to go through.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," Fred teased. "Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell _I'm George?" Fred and George would do this all the time, pretend to be the other twin and every time Mum would fall for it, no matter how many times they did it.

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," I giggled, it's still funny, after years of them doing the same joke. They both ran through the barrier one after the other and onto the platform.

"Excuse me," a dark haired boy came up to us.

"Hullo, dear," Mum said to the boy. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too." She pointed to Ron, the youngest of my brothers. The boy was tall and skinny with black hair that covered his forehead, he had round wire spectacles and wore clothes that were way to baggy on him.

"Yes," said the boy. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"

"How to get on the platform?" Mum smiled kindly at the boy and he nodded.

"Not to worry, all you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

"Er - OK," said the boy.

I wasn't sure what to make of the boy, he seemed like a quiet boy, the kind who usually kept to themselves. He was sort of cute, maybe not to most people but he was to me. Next thing I knew he was gone, through the barrier, then Ron went through the barrier himself and me and mum followed him.

The platform was packed, there were people everywhere, Fred and George's friend Lee had some weird creature in a box and people were crowding around him trying to get a look. There was a round-faced boy telling his grandmother that he lost his toad, people fighting with their families and greeting their friends after a long summer. I noticed Fred and George giving the black haired boy a hand getting his trunk onto the train, they started talking and I saw that they both had a shocked expression on their face. I was wondering what they were talking about that was so shocking when Mum called them over, they came running over. I wanted to ask them what they were talking about to the boy, but Mum started trying to get dirt off of Ron's nose and then Fred and George took the chance to make fun of him, not that it was hard to find things to torment Ron about. Percy came walking up to us interrupting the twins teasing Ron, Percy was saying something about the prefects and now the twins took the chance to start teasing him. Mum kissed Percy on the cheek and then he left, then Mum turned to the twins.

"Now you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -" Mum started lecturing the twins.

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, mum."

"It's _not funny_. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

Ron told the twins to shut and ended that conversation. Finally the twins started on the subject I was dying to hear about, the black haired boy.

"Hey, mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" they started "you know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"_Harry Potter!__"_

Oh My God! The cute black-haired boy was _Harry Potter!_ Harry Potter, the guy I'd been obsessed with for as long as I could remember, was on that train, I mean I'd guessed he would be, as I knew he was old enough, but still!

"Oh, mum, can I go on the train and see him, mum, oh please…" I begged.

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in the zoo." Mum snapped, she turned to Fred, " Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightening."

"Poor _dear_ - no wonder he was alone. I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how you get on to the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Mum got mad then, her face became very stern. Then she snapped.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

The whistle sounded.

Mum started to shoo the boys on to the train, and they leant out of the window for Mum to kiss them on the cheek. I started to cry then, I couldn't help it, I wished I could go with them, yeah, okay, they annoy the hell out of me most of the time but, I got so lonely at home without them.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll end you a Hogwarts toilet seat." they joked, it made me laugh.

The train started to move then, half laughing, half crying, I started to run by the side of it, and I kept running until I couldn't keep up with it. Then the train was out of sight and I was left there stand on the platform by myself. I turned around to go back to Mum, when I reached her she put an arm around my shoulder, to comfort me, and we walked back to then car and back to the burrow, home.


	2. Visiting Charlie

Chapter 2 - Visiting Charlie

It's been four months! Four months of being at home by myself! We've had letters from all the boys, but I'm especially interested in Ron's letters, he's made friends with Harry Potter, of all the people. I never thought that _my_ brother would make friends with someone a cool as _Harry Potter!_ He's been telling us all about Harry and this girl called Hermione, I told mum that I think he has a crush on her, but she just said I was being ridiculous, as always.

Well it's getting close to Christmas now so it's the traditional time for me and mum to knit the jumpers for the guys presents. Mum decided that since Harry is becoming such a good friend to Ron, that we would make a jumper for him as well, and she's letting me knit his jumper. I decided that I should make it emerald, like his eyes, I spent ages imagining his eyes. Later that day mum and dad received a letter saying that the twins had bewitched some snowballs so that they followed one of the professors around all day bouncing off his head. I had to try and stifle a laugh when they read the letter, mums face turned red in anger and dad got the look on his face that he uses when he thinks something is funny but knows that mum would bite his head off for laughing, it wasn't the first time they had one of these letters, they got loads of them every year, but this year it was like they were trying to set a record for the most times they could get in trouble in a year. Mum and dad had received more of these letters so far tan ever before.

"Okay, I'm finished packing." I announced to Mum.

"Good, now are you sure that you've got everything?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Now, are you sure that you're sure?"

"Mum, I've checked, and double checked, I've got everything that I could possibly need!"

"Okay, good, alright, well then we're all ready to go see Charlie."

"Yep."

"Right then." and she left.

I sat down, on my bed, with a grin on my face, I was so excited, I hadn't seen Charlie for ages, it was his birthday last week so our visit will be to celebrate both his birthday and Christmas. Bill's birthday wasn't very long ago either, it's so hard having such a big family it means you have to either buy or make loads of presents, luckily because Charlie's birthday is so close to Christmas he lets me get away with just giving him one present. This year I made him a statue of a Hungarian Horntail, it's a pretty crap present but he'll probably cherish it anyways, he always does, so do all my brothers, it's actually kinda funny how they treat me, I guess they do it because I'm their little sister.

"Ginny bring your luggage down here please" mum called.

Unfortunately my room is on the third floor - though it isn't on the top floor so it's not as bad as it could be - so I had to lug it down each flight of stairs. When I got down them I hauled my stuff over to the fireplace, we can't go using apparition because I'm too young, so we use the floo network. I went first and then mum and dad followed.

"Hey Ginny!" Charlie's voice was the first thing I heard.

"Hey Charlie! God I missed you." I replied

At that point mum and dad arrived, after all the greetings were over we sat down and Charlie made us all a cup of tea.

"So Charlie, what have you bee doing?" I asked him.

"Oh, you know, the usual, fighting off fire breathing dragons."

"So, nothing out of the ordinary." I giggled.

"I see you still haven't had haircut like I told you to." mum said with a stern face.

"Come on mum, I like my hair like this, can't you just let it go."

"I will when you get a haircut!"

"OK, can we all just calm down now." dad interrupted.

"All right." they said in unison.

We continued talking and catching up for the rest of the day.

Over the next few days me and Charlie talked all the time, I talked about how lonely I got with all of the guys gone and he talked about what he was doing at work, it was fascinating. On Christmas morning Charlie came into my room and woke me up gently, when he told me it was Christmas day I was suddenly wide awake. I ran down stairs with Charlie on my heels, mum and dad were sitting on the couch next to the Christmas tree, they turned to face me and Charlie with huge grins on their faces.

"Well aren't you going to open your presents then!" mum said.

I rushed over to the tree and started rummaging through the packages trying to find mine, when I did find one for me I ripped the wrapping paper off, I continued doing this until I had got through all my presents. I ended up with a beautiful necklace from Charlie - he told me he found it at a market, it was hand made by a woman who had spent her entire life making them. Ron had obviously had no idea what to get so he just sent me a box of chocolate frogs, but it wasn't so bad, I got a couple of cards that I didn't have before. Fred and George got me a few bits and pieces from Zonko's which I can't wait to try out! Percy, being Percy, had got me a book, and don't get me wrong I love reading, but it was one of those really old books that were boring and outdated. Bill got me a book too, but I much preferred this one, it was 'Modern Magical History' and it was one of the books that had stuff about Harry in it - Bill knew all about my little obsession about Harry. I knew what mum and dad got me before I even opened it, it was the traditional Weasley jumper and some home-made fudge. As I has assumed Charlie loved his present!

We were only there for a couple of more days and then we had to leave, I was so upset, I was having so much fun, I hadn't even thought about Harry the entire time I was here!


	3. It's Easter Time

Chapter 3 - It's Easter Time

The guys aren't coming home for the holidays again so I'm going to have to survive until the summer holidays before they come home. Luckily it's the Easter holidays so I don't have to do any lessons, but I'll probably only have a week at most off because I'll have nothing to do. I'm spending most of my time in the orchard where the guys normally play quidditch, I wish I could have a broomstick, normally I'd use one of guys but they've all taken theirs with them to Hogwarts. Maybe next year I'll be allowed to get a broom, I know that you're not supposed to but Ron told me that Harry was allowed on and he's on the quidditch team. I bet he's really amazing at flying - well he'll have to be to have got on the team in his first year. At least I'll get to fly in the lessons next year.

Later that night after we had tea a letter arrived from Ron, it said that he was having a great time and that he, Hermione and Harry are spending loads of time together. It didn't say much else just that the teachers were piling on the homework, and that he had loads of revising to do for the end of year exam, so he had to keep the letter short. I've read 'Modern Magical History' so many times it's getting worn away and it looks like it's about 100 years old. I love reading any book that's about Harry, but unfortunately it's only facts about what happened the night his parents were killed and there is nothing about his personality, the things he likes. How is it that I like him so much when I know nothing about him! He could be a horrible, selfish, bully for all I know - though actually I doubt it seeing as how he's friends with Ron. Maybe I just like him because I'm so in awe of him - yea, that makes sense. OK, so I'm not in love with Harry I'm just in awe of him. But then of course how do I stop being in awe of him.

That night at tea I was picking at my food and thinking and Harry.

"What's the matter Ginny?" mum asked.

"Nothing." I replied.

"Well there has to be something wrong, you never pick at your food."

"Mum…" I hesitated, is it really a good idea to talk about this with my mum. "What does it feel like when you have a crush on someone?"

"Well that's a hard thing to explain. Why? Who do you have a crush on?"

"Well…" yet again I hesitated, I mean this has potential to be the most embarrassing conversation I have ever had - aside from the time mum tried to explain the facts of life to me. "I think I like Harry Potter, but I'm not sure." I blushed.

"Oh, Ginny dear, it's OK you don't have to be embarrassed." she assured me "Harry is considered a celebrity, everyone gets a crush on someone famous when they're your age."

"Really?"

"Of course." She puts a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"OK"

I went back to my tea without another word. Maybe I was right, I am just in awe of him I thought.

* * *

Thanks to Feff for pointing out the fact that Ginny has been flying since she was six years old, because of this I have revised this chapter, it's not by much but it's still been changed. Please carry on giving constructive criticism and if you spot a mistake I've made then please point it out.


	4. Back To The Platform

Chapter 4 - Back To The Platform

Finally! I was standing on the platform, bouncing on my heels with excitement. I was going to see my brothers again! Mum was getting annoyed, she hadn't seen the boys in ages either and the train felt like it was taking for ever to get here. I wanted to hear all about what happened with the philosophers stone. After everything had happened both Dumbledore and Ron had sent us a letter telling us all what had gone on. Then I heard the familiar noise, the one that signalled the start of the summer to me. When the train had come to full stop and people started filing out I noticed Ron. He was talking to two people, one of which was a girl with big bushy brown hair as Ron had described so I assumed that she was Hermione. The other was Harry.

"There he is, Mum, there he is look!" I couldn't help squealing. "Harry Potter! Look, Mum! I can see-"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." mum told me.

When I looked at him properly I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, and that was when I knew that I wasn't just in awe of him. Before I knew it, Harry and Ron were standing in front of us. I was grinning like an idiot, I wish I could stop but I couldn't help myself, he was just so gorgeous.

"Busy year?" mum asked.

"Very." Harry replied. "Thanks for the fudge and the jumper, Mrs Weasley."

Oh my god! I thought, I made him that jumper, and he liked it!

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

A strange voice came from behind me then.

"Ready, are you?"

I turned around, just to come face to face with an ugly, fat, man. He had a moustache and was purple in the face, from anger. Behind him was a tall skinny woman standing next to a rather fat boy that looked about Ron and Harry's age, and they both looked absolutely terrified.

"You must be Harry's family!" mum said

"in a manner of speaking," the man replied. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day."

This couldn't be right, I thought, Harry was supposed to live with an aunt and uncle of his, this couldn't be them. I mean, they were so… so… horrible and… grumpy. Surely there was some mistake. But if tehy weren't his aunt and uncle how is it that he seemed to know them. Harry hung back to talk to Ron and Hermione, anyone could see that he was reluctant to go.

It took a while but eventually we all got in the car and the second we did I started grilling Ron. I was asking him so many questions he didn't even have time to answer, I tried to slow down but I just couldn't do it. He told me that Harry was a really good guy - like I didn't already know - he also said that he was the bravest most humble person he'd ever met, OK, so maybe he didn't use the word humble, I mean that is a pretty big word for him. He asked mum and dad if they didn't mind if Harry and Hermione came over during the summer holidays, they said it was OK with them. Yes! I was going to get to meet Harry Potter! I tried to get more out of him but he wouldn't budge.


	5. The Letters Arrive Among Other Things

Chapter 5 - the letters arrive…among other things

"Ginny, I love you, I can't go on without you." Harry told me.

He was leaning in, he was going to kiss me. I started going in as well and then just as our lips touched… I woke up. This wasn't the first timed I'd had this dream, in fact I could have sworn this is the only dream I've had all summer. As usual, all I could think about was Harry. He's supposed to be coming sometime today, but I don't know when exactly. I have to get ready for when he comes, I want him to see me and fall madly in love with me. But first I need some breakfast, I made my way downstairs in my long nightdress. The second I got in the kitchen I saw him, he turned towards me and I realised I how stupid and childish I must look in my nightdress, naturally I turned right around and ran back up the stairs with a squeal.

I was still in my room when the others finished breakfast, I still couldn't believe that Harry saw me in my nightdress, my long, geekish, only a child would wear, nightdress, now he'll never like me. Then I heard a noise, someone was coming upstairs, I opened the door just a fraction of the way and then I saw him, I realised that he looked about the same as I last saw him, except that he looked a lot happier being here. I wanted to go out there and dazzle him with my excellence - and try to make up for the breakfast incident - but I just couldn't get myself to do it. It's so strange normally people can't get me to shut up, I'm never shy and but I can't help being shy now, the one time I really don't want to be. Harry glanced over in my direction so I quickly snapped my door shut, I leant against it trying to hear if they were still out there and what they were saying.

"Ginny," Ron told Harry. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy, she never shuts up normally -"

Oh god! Now he's going to know that I have a crush on him and he's going to think that I'm a pathetic kid! I can't believe Ron told him that! then again he has always been oblivious to other peoples feelings, especially mine.

Over the next few days I watched Harry, I don't mean in a weird 'I'm watching you' kind of way, I mean I watched how he reacted to the house and my family. He seemed like a really nice guy, and he really liked the family. He wasn't stuck up in any way, he didn't once try to show off like the rest of the family and he was always kind to everyone. I think he even liked the house, I couldn't see why though, I mean I love this house it's been home to for my entire life, but most people think it's too small and worn down, but I could see that he didn't think that, maybe he likes for the same reason I do, not the 'it's been my home my entire life' reason I mean that I always thought of it as warm and cosy and actually looks like it's been lived in. Dad made Harry sit next to him and dad would quiz Harry about everything to do with muggles - it was so embarrassing! Mum spent most of her time fussing over him, trying to baby him - that was actually quite funny. About a week after Harry came the letters from Hogwarts arrived, I was sitting downstairs eating my porridge waiting for the others to come down - mum and dad had told me I couldn't open my letter until all the others were downstairs - Ron and Harry were the first down and when I saw Harry I knocked over my porridge bowl - I did this a lot when Harry was around - so I dove under the table to retrieve it and I could feel my face burning up. They sat down and mum offered Harry some toast, he took it and then she said "letters from school" as simply as possible, I couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts, it's the only thing keeping me from thinking of Harry 24/7. I opened my letter and once I had read through it I looked at the list to see what I would need, I felt my face sink, the list seemed like it was never ending. Mum and Dad would have to buy me new robes because the others were using all the old ones already, they'd have to get me a wand too, and all the other stuff 'cause all our old stuff was being used by the others. I was feeling pretty down at this point, I mean how were mum and dad going to pay for all of this. By now the others were all having a conversation but I blocked it out of my head, I couldn't stop worrying about how much it would cost mum and dad to buy all the stuff for us. Then out of nowhere I heard Harry's voice.

"Oh, are you starting Hogwarts this year?" he asked me. I nodded and blushed, I could feel it creeping all over, and then I put my elbow in the butter dish, fortunately my brothers didn't see because Percy had walked in, but unfortunately Harry did see. "Morning, all," Percy said. "Lovely day."

He sat down and jumped right back up pulling Errol off his seat. He was carrying a letter, Ron told us it was a reply from Hermione, apparently he had told her about the plan to rescue Harry. He read the letter to all of us but I wasn't really listening, I was day dreaming about Harry and me, all I really heard was that she asked to meet up in Diagon Alley.

For the rest of the day Harry, Ron, Fred and George went off to play Quidditch, I couldn't watch them from my window so I told mum that I was going for a walk and when I got to where they were playing I decided to stay in the trees so that they wouldn't see me. I thought it was best not to climb one of the trees incase they try to fly through them. Mostly I watched Harry, he really was an amazing flyer, maybe I should ask him to teach me, I thought, then again maybe I shouldn't, I don't want to be a nuisance to him. I watched and watched for hours on end really seeing how he moved in the sky, you could tell by the way he moved that he loved it. Eventually I decided to go in, I had watched him enough and they might decide to come in soon, if they caught me out here watching they'd know I was there for Harry and I'd never hear the end of it. As I walked back to the burrow I thought about Harry - no change there - and how he moved on his broom, I could tell he was passionate about flying, sort of like it was a connection he felt with… something. The problem was that I couldn't figure out what that connection was, why it was that he liked flying so much. When I got back to the burrow I went to my room and thought more about Harry, not just about him flying but other things too, like what it was like living with his aunt and uncle, though I remembered his face on the platform when his uncle came up to us. I thought of so many more questions I could ask him; what's his favourite subject at Hogwarts? Does he like being a Gryffindor? What kind of girls does he like? But then that last question got me thinking about Harry with other girls, I hated just to think about it, I wondered if he had a girlfriend already, when I finally managed to stop torturing myself by thinking about it, it was time for tea.

* * *

Sorry about the last couple of chapters being so short. I wont be writing all the chapters this fast I'm just on a bit of a writing frenzy lately. Please review and I could always use a bit of constructive criticism, even if it's just something tiny, it can only help.


	6. To Diagon Alley We Go

Chapter 6 - to Diagon Alley we go

Mum woke everyone up early the next day and after stuffing our faces with about half-a-dozen bacon sandwiches each - it's amazing were not all fat as houses the way mum feeds us - we gathered around the fire place and mum grabbed the Floo powder. She offered Harry the powder so that he could go first, only to discover that he had never travelled by Floo powder before, I was a little surprised at first but then I realised that living with muggles probably meant that the chances of you even knowing what Floo powder was were about slim to none. Fred and George went first in the end so that they could show Harry how it s done. When the green flames went up I had to shield my eyes, the light was always to bright. Mum, dad and Ron were all giving Harry instructions on how to travel by Floo powder, I felt a little sorry for him then, it was impossible to keep up, they just kept interrupting each other. Eventually he took some powder, went over to the fireplace and stuttered the words D-Dia-gon Alley as soon as the words were out of his mouth we all knew that there was a good chance we'd lost him, hopefully he won t have gone far. I went after Harry, when I landed I heard Fred and George talking they were laughing about something. They looked at me with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Where's Harry? George asked.

I told what had happened, they started laughing, naturally, but I could see a faint look in their eyes, they were worried too. Once Mum, Dad and Ron had arrived we decided we would go and meet Hermione and then we would look for Harry whilst getting all the things we need.

We saw Hermione immediately, or rather she saw us, the second she spotted the flaming red hair that she obviously knew could only belong to a Weasley she came bounding over, and a thought occurred to me, what if Hermione was Harry's girlfriend. I looked at her, she was quite pretty, not the glamorous, gorgeous type of pretty but a more subtle pretty, actually if you really looked at her face, she was beautiful. I hoped to god that she wasn't Harry's girlfriend, because then I would be in trouble. When she reached us she saw that Harry wasn't with us, she asked where he was and Ron told her. After a little chat and an explanation to Hermione, she introduced us to her parents and then we set off for Gringotts. Fred, George, Ron, Percy, Hermione and myself waited in the hall whilst mum and dad went to get some money and Hermiones parents went to change some muggle money. While we were waiting, Hermione started shouting and running off, we all turned to where she was running and I saw a giant man, he wasn't as tall as a real giant I knew that, but he was still pretty tall. From what my brothers had told me, this large man was Hagrid, when I looked down next to him was Harry. The others all started running towards Harry, I went back to get mum and dad, dad ran off in a second but mum was a little slower so I was practically pulling her along myself, when we got closer to the others I stopped yanking on mum's arm so that I didn't look like a little kid.

"Oh, Harry - oh, my dear - you could have been anywhere -"

Mum grabbed a clothes brush out of her bag and swept all of the soot off of them, as Mr Weasley took Harry's broken glasses tapped them with his wand and they looked good as new, though personally I don't think they've been new for a couple of centuries.

"Well, gotta be off," Hagrid said, "see yer at Hogwarts!" and with that he walked off, his head rising above everyone else's.

Whilst we walked back into Gringotts they were all having a discussion about the Malfoy's I wasn't really listening but the conversation just made it look like I was listening to Harry when I was really just staring at him. His face still had a little soot on it, but it wasn't very bad after my mum had tried to brush it off. When we were back inside, Hermione went off with her parents and the rest of us, Harry included, were led to the underground vaults by one of the goblins. The first stop was the Weasley family vault, there wasn't really very much in there mum was pretty much using the last of the money to buy this years school supplies.

Once mum had scooped up what was in the vault we headed off to Harry's vault, I couldn't wait to see how much he had, I'm not like a gold digger or anything it's just that I had found out that Harry's parents had left him a fair bit of a fortune when they died. When the vault was opened you could tell he was trying to hide the money behind him, but I saw it anyways, piles and piles of gold and silver. I couldn't believe my eyes, I had never seen so much money! How was it that he wasn't a greedy pig that looked down on us? The only families I knew that had a lot of money were all selfish, greedy snobs, and yet Harry was so kind and shy. Once we were back outside we all separated. Percy was muttering about something but I ignored him, Fed and George went off with one of their mates from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Dad kept insisting that he take Hermione's parents to the Leaky Cauldron, and me and mum had to go to the second had robe shop.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," mum told the others, and just as we were walking away she added, "and not one step down Knockturn Alley!"

It took ages just to find a robe that fit but luckily the one that did was extremely cheap and it hadn't been worn much so it looked brand new! It took us a long time but we managed to find pretty much everything else in a second hand shop, all except the Lockhart books. When we were done we rushed to Flourish and Blotts, it was lucky we did really, because when we got there we saw the huge banner saying that Gilderoy Lochart was going to be signing copies of his autobiography and we got there just as a crowd was forming so it wasn't that hard to get in. Mum got all flushed when she saw the sign, she loves Gilderoy Lockhart, along with every middle-aged witch. I suppose he was quite handsome and from all the stories he was quite brave too, but I still didn't see why people always got so flustered around him. Maybe it's like what I'm like with Harry.

Harry, Ron and Hermione joined us a little while later, at that point mum was getting breathless. Slowly Gilderoy came into view from where we were in the line and I saw a photographer jumping around taking pictures of him, it looked like he was doing a little dance and I was finding it hard to suppress my laughter.

"Out of the way, there," the man snarled at Ron. "This is for the _Daily Prophet_."

"Big deal," Ron replied.

Gilderoy had heard, he looked up and saw Ron, and then he spotted Harry. He leapt to his feet and practically shouted, "It _can't_ be Harry Potter?"

Everyone started whispering and the crowed parted, Lockhart dived at Harry, grabbed his arm and pulled him to the front. Then everyone burst into applause. I could tell that Harry was embarrassed, though I'm not sure anyone apart from Ron and Hermione could see that. Lockhart was saying something to Harry but I couldn't tell what it was over the noise. When he finally let go Harry tried to sneak back over to us, but Lockhart wasn't about to let an opportunity for attention slip him by.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I ve been sitting on for some time! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography - which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge, he had _no idea_, that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, _Magical Me_. He and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

I groaned internally, a whole year of putting up with him, the crowd had gone really wild after that little announcement. Harry had been given Gilgeroy's entire works and was staggering over towards us, he looked straight at me.

"You have these," Harry mumbled tipping his books into my cauldron. "I'll buy my own." And just as I was about to smile and hopefully say something really cool, Draco Malfoy butted in, I knew instantly who he was, he looked so much like his father.

"Bet you loved that, didn t you, Potter?" Malfoy said, of course it was rhetorical. I noticed Harry straighten up as he realised who it was speaking to him. "_Famous_ Harry Potter," He continued. "Can't even go into a _bookshop_ without making the front page."

I finally managed to gussy up the confidence and I spoke in front of Harry.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want any of that!" I glared at him whilst saying it.

"Potter, you've got yourself a _girlfriend_." Malfoy drawled, and with that I lost all my confidence and turned a shade of scarlet that was probably darker than my hair.

"Oh, it's you," Ron said coming up behind us. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Malfoy retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."

Ron went as red as I did after that. He dropped his books into my cauldron and started towards Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione pulled him back.

"Ron!" Dad shouted over the crowd. "What are you doing? It's mad in here, lets go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."

I turned and away from dad and towards where the voice was coming from, it was Mr. Malfoy who had spoke and he was now standing with his hand on his sons shoulder sneering in exactly the same way Malfoy had been.

"Lucius," Dad nodded his head towards him coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Mr. Malfoy said. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?" He reached into my cauldron and took out one of the oldest and rattiest book I had in there. "Obviously not," he said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Dad went an even darker shade of red than either me or Ron at that point, but it looked more like anger than embarrassment.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," dad replied.

"Clearly," Mr. Malfoy said, eyeing Hermione's parents "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower -"

I heard rather than saw my caldron go flying, but my attention along with everyone else's was with my father and Mr. Malfoy. Dad had thrown himself at Malfoy and dozens and dozens of spell books went flying, Fred and George were cheering dad on and mum was screeching at him to stop. The shop assistant was starting to panic as more books went flying and then, over everyone, a loud voice boomed, "Break it up, there, gents, break it up-"

Hagrid came walking through the piles of books towards dad and Mr. Malfoy and in seconds had pulled them both apart. Dad had a cut lip and Malfoy had been hit in the eye by a book, I looked down and saw that he still had my transfiguration book in his hand which was lucky seeing as how it would have taken forever to find again amongst all the others. He thrust the book at me, "Here, girl - take your book - it s the best your father can give you -" he said.

For the short amount of time that we stayed in Diagon Alley I was silent, thinking over everything that had happened. When we got home I went straight to my room and looked at what books I had brought.


	7. The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 7 - The Train Ride

Ah, the end of summer, I thought as I was lying in bed. It was the morning of my first day at Hogwarts. I still couldn't believe it. My entire life, I had waited for this day. What was weirdest of all was that I still felt so normal, I don't know what but I guess I thought that today I would wake up and suddely become different, somehow, more grown up.

As I walked down stairs already dressed, the sun was barely up and everyone was already running late. After I shovelled my breakfast down my throat, I spent the little time we had making sure I had everything, trying to avoid the chaos going on throughout the house, and when I was sure I had everything I rushed downstairs to tell dad so that he could carry my trunk out to the car as it was much too heavy for me to carry. Once we got out side with my trunk dad tripped over a chicken and nearly broke his neck, I know it must ve hurt but I had to bite my lip just to stop myself from laughing, but I don't think anyone noticed. Mum always said that my sense of humour was too much like Fred and George's, but I don't see the bad in that, they were the funniest people I knew.

As it turns out everyone else was already outside and getting their things in to the boot of the car. I looked at the car and started to wonder how it was that we were going to get all the stuff and ourselves into this tiny little thing. Somehow we managed to fit all the trunks in the boot and as I slid into the front seat next to mum I realised that dad must have put a spell on the car because there was no way it was big enough.

Dad started the car and as he drove away I looked back at the house, in all the excitement of finally going to Hogwarts I never realised that this is the first time I'd be away from the Burrow for so long. As I watched it shrink into the distance I looked at the others in the back, namely Harry. I saw that he was looking back to the Burrow as well, and making my second discovery of the day I realised that the Burrow was probably the closest thing Harry had ever had to a proper home.

It wasn't long though, before we were back again. George had forgotten his Filibuster fireworks, and five minutes later we were back again because Fred had forgotten his broomstick. On our third attempt of leaving I started thinking again if I had everything, and after a while I remembered something, my diary! I screamed at dad to go back, and sprinted up to my room. I spotted the diary on my desk and quickly grabbed it and rushed back downstairs. By now we were incredibly late, we'd be lucky to make it in time for the train and because mum wouldn't let dad fly the car, he had to speed down the roads to the station.

When we arrived at the station it was quater to eleven and we had to rush like mad to unload all our luggage and get to the plaform. As we approached the barrier I started getting nervous, I had passed the barrier plenty of times but I was worried that I still wouldn't be able to this time. Like I'd just crash into it. Percy was at the front so he went first, followed by Fred and George, I was in front of Ron and Harry so I was going through next. I held my breath and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the crash that I was so sure was going to come, but never did. I walked straight through the barrier with mum right by my side.

On the Platform there was chaos, as it always was just before the train left. People had to make sure they had everything with them and say their last goodbyes.

I rushed as fast as I could over to where Fred, George and Dad were, they had just finished heaving their own stuff onto the train and the second I stopped in front of them they grabbed my trunk and heaved it on with them.

When everything was on I started to relax, saying a quick goodbye to mum and dad I started to wonder where Harry and Ron were. I hadn't seen them come through the barrier and I couldn't see them anywhere on the platform. Looking around I asked mum 'Where are Ron and Harry? Did you see them get on the train?'.

Mum was shocked, I suppose in the rush she'd forgotten about them, 'Oh dear, Where are they?' she asked no one in particular.

'I'm sure they're fine, they're probably on the train right now, looking for us.' Dad assured her. He was probably right, but I still couldn't help thinking that they hadn't made it and were stuck on the other side of the barrier.

The train started to move then, and as the train gained more and more speed I felt a tear roll down my cheek, I wiped it away. Every year I had cried when the train pulled out of the station, but every year it had been the thought of not seeing my brothers all year and missing out on everything that had caused it. This year I didn't know why I was crying, I was so happy. I wiped the tears from my eyes and as the Platform disappeared I went to find a compartment.

As I walked along the train, lugging my trunk along behind me I looked into the compartments, evey single one was full of people chatting away like long lost family. Most of them were older students, greeting friends from previous years, but I spotted a few that were first years already cheerful and happy, making new friends and memories they'd look back on with joy.

The further I went along the train the sadder I started to feel, everwhere was full and I just couldn't find a place to fit in. I couldn't find Harry and Ron anywhere, but in the last compartment I found Hermione and a boy she introduced as Neville Longbottom. I didn't really know Hermione all that well, but I went in the compartment all the same.

As it turns out the boy Hermione was with was one that I had heard Ron and Harry talking about, quite a clumsy boy, always loosing his toad. From what Harry and Ron had been saying I thought he'd be a total nerd, but he was actually quite sweet. I didn't really say much during the train ride I mostly just listened to Hermione and Neville, or at least they thought I was listening to them. Somewhere during the conversation my mind began to wonder. I could see Harry in my mind, he wasn't really doing anything, just laughing and talking, I loved to watch him. I spent most of the train ride that way until the train stopped on the Platform, by which time I had already changed into my robes.

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Sorry it took me so long to put this chapter up I just kind of went off the track with the story and it's taken me this long to get back on. Please read and review, and feel free to pick at all the little details. If you can remember what Ginny's favourite lessons were and who else was in her year then please tell me it would really help.


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